It’s hard to beat catching walleyes on a Jig. Early in the season when the water temperatures are still cold, walleyes roam the shallows in schools looking for food. This behavior makes them easy to target with a jig and minnow. But location is not the only thing to pay attention to. Team Northland Pro Tony Roach talks in depth about why its important to pay attention to your walleye jigging. He has some helpful tips that make finding out what the fish want that day quick and easy!
Roach relies on a Current Cutter jig and with colder surface temps his cadence will start slow and his jig will not move as much off the bottom. As it warms up the cadence picks up and the height of the jig increases on the rips as well becoming much more aggressive.
Roach uses a light braid to light fluorocarbon leader to increase sensitivity even on slack line, in post spawn scenarios fish are usually hungry but Roach lets the fish dictate the cadence, if the fish are eating it off the bottom he will slow down with longer pauses but if they are eating on the jig and fall he can increase his speed.
This technique can be applied really anywhere that you can find walleyes pushing shallow and even though walleye jigging like this is particularly effective in the spring and post spawn you will find this bite can be effective in the fall as well in cooler water periods or in low light scenarios where walleyes will move up at night to feed.